Did Russell Westbrook troll Kevin Durant with his outfit before Thunder-Warriors?
The subtlest troll jobs are the very best. Just ask Russell Westbrook, who pulled off this apparent masterpiece before his Oklahoma City Thunder took on Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night:
If you can't quite make it out in the photos, Westbrook is wearing a bright orange smock that reads "Official Photographer." As noted by the reporters above, Durant is something of a recreational shutterbug himself. You might remember that the Warriors superstar was on hand for Super Bowl 50, snapping pictures from the sidelines:
To an extent, this is nothing new from Westbrook. When Durant spoke to reporters after Super Bowl 50, his then-teammate sneaked up behind him for a little good-natured mockery:
In fact, here's my theory — Westbrook knew we'd all flip out over his "official photographer" bib and draw the connection to Durant's hobby. He probably knew we'd even bring up that video from earlier this year. So instead of trolling KD, Westbrook is meta-trolling everyone who pays attention to the little minutiae in the NBA.
If Westbrook was trolling KD, though, it seems fair to say that the move backfired spectacularly.
Russell Westbrook has arrived. (Of note: One of Kevin Durant's hobbies is photography): pic.twitter.com/Tvus1gnxx4
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) November 4, 2016
Durant's hobby is photography? Look who just showed up wearing "official photographer"... https://t.co/O82zrS47pL pic.twitter.com/xyjvugRw9L
— Shelley Smith (@ShelleyESPN) November 4, 2016
Kevin Durant talks about his Super Bowl experience while Russell Westbrook heckles him pic.twitter.com/LXDpyZVRuK
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 8, 2016
Annnd here's Russell Westbrook pregame, explaining how his ensemble tonight is just an absolute total coincidence. pic.twitter.com/7EWedY4pyc
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) November 4, 2016